Whole School Approach: Resilient Schools Programme

The Resilient Schools Programme encourages all schools as best-practice to embed a whole school approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing. To achieve this, we recommend schools complete the Whole School Approach Audit Tool and decide to obtain the Resilient Schools Kitemark. 

The Whole School Approach Audit Tool

This audit tool, recommended by Anna Freud, aims to help schools and colleges work towards developing a Whole School or College Approach to mental health and wellbeing. It is an interactive tool that provides a series of questions relating to each of the Department for Education’s 8 Principles of the whole school approach and asks the user to score their progress on a scale from ‘not in place’ to ‘fully embedded’. The tool generates a jargon-free and accessible report, as a good starting point to consider what is needed to implement and fully embed each principle allowing you to create an action plan for your school. Complete the Whole School Approach Audit Tool.

Watch the 'How To' Whole School Approach Audit Tool Tutorial

The Resilient Schools (RS) Kitemark

To achieve the Kitemark, schools must embed the 'RS Core Components' which underpin the programme and support a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Obtaining the RS Kitemark is a great way to gain recognition for showing commitment to building mental health and emotional resilience in your school. To achieve the Kitemark, schools will be required to download a PDF copy of their Whole School Approach Audit Tool results and complete the RS Progress Tracker (used to evidence how the RS Core Components have been met) and send this to the Resilient Schools Team for review.

Watch the 'How To' RS Progress Tracker Tutorial

Alternatively, if a school has an in-date Healthy Schools London (HSL) bronze award, they can achieve the RS Kitemark by selecting the RS Core Components in their HSL Silver Action Plan as part of their HSL Silver Award for improving emotional wellbeing. If you are interested in the HSL Pathway to achieve the RS Kitemark, please contact the Barnet HSL coordinator, Tania Barney (tania.barney@healtheducationpartnership.com).

The RS Welcome Letter provides full details on the RS Core components and how to apply for the RS Kitemark.

Support 

The Inclusion and Advisory team are on hand to provide bespoke Resilience in Schools Audit Consultations to help you embed a whole school approach. They can help with the following:

  • Interpreting your schools' Whole School Approach Audit Tool results
  • Creating an action plan after you have filled in the Whole School Approach Audit Tool
  • Help with correctly filling in the RS Progress Tracker to obtain the RS Kitemark 

Simply get in touch by emailing lucy.baker@barnet.gov.uk and book your consultation!

The Health Education Partnership who are commissioned to co-ordinate the Healthy Schools London programme for Barnet, are able to provide you support with building your school curriculum to support mental health and wellbeing. If you are interested, please contact Andrew Pembrooke,(andrew.pembrooke@healtheducationpartnership.com). For more information, visit Barnet PSHE.  

Resources and other support

Useful resources and best practice examples (with contact details) to support the embedding of the 8 key principles of the whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing are listed below:

Leadership and Management

Curriculum, teaching and learning

Identifying need and monitoring impact of interventions

Enabling student voice

Working with parents and carers

Transitions